1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to a data processing system and, in particular, to databases. Still more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for managing an organization database.
2. Background
Information about organizations is often stored in databases. These databases provide a mechanism to use the information to manage an organization. One type of database that is commonly used is a relational database. Relational databases store information about the data and how the data is related to each other. The data and the relationships may be represented in tables.
The database may be used to, for example, generate an organizational chart about the organization. This chart is a diagram that shows the structure of the organization and the relationships and relative ranks between different people or groupings of people in the organization. For example, a node in an organizational chart may represent a person in a department. This type of chart is generated using the data and relationships between the data in the relational database.
A relational database containing information about an organization may also be used to search for employees based on various parameters. Relational databases, however, are often more cumbersome than desired when multiple factors are present in searching these databases. Further, currently used relational databases may be more resource-intensive than desired when searching is performed.
For example, the relational database may be used to identify employees within a selected distance of a location that have skills needed for a particular project. Data related to the parameters is obtained and placed into a table or tables. As the number of parameters increases, the complexity for generating a table or tables also increases. As a result, the time and resources needed to perform a search in a relational database may be greater than desired.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a method and apparatus that take into account at least some of the issues discussed above, as well as other possible issues. For example, it would be desirable to have a method and apparatus that allows for searching for information about an organization more efficiently than with currently used databases.